Sustainable Development

Our goal: Reduce our ecological footprint and prepare for climate change.

Publications

New Study Highlights Untapped Energy Potential of Existing Commercial Buildings

Blog Thursday, July 29, 2010

transamerica

[Photo Credit: flickr user Snapsi42]

New Bay Area Air Quality Guidelines Among Most Stringent in the Nation

Blog Thursday, July 15, 2010

pollution [Photo Credit: flickr user Sam Williams]

W Hotel Greens Existing Building

Blog Monday, July 12, 2010

W Hotel 1 W hotel 2

[Photo Credit: Timothea Tway]

SPUR Endorses Plastic Bag Ban

Policy Letter Monday, June 28, 2010 SPUR supports the plastic bag ban for three reasons. First, it will encourage people to use a truly reusable bag instead of a one-time, throwaway product by allowing retailers to charge a small fee for paper bags. Second it is revenue neutral because implementation and enforcement will be covered by a new fee. Finally, plastic bags are wasteful and environmentally damaging from cradle to grave.

Grass Roots Green: The Indian Perspective on a Sustainable Environment

Blog Monday, April 5, 2010

SPUR is co-hosting with the AIA a lunchtime lecture on bottom-up sustainability practices in India. “Grass roots green” refers to the design approaches in India and other developing countries, which look to innovatively use traditional common-sense methods, knowledge and approaches to minimize consumption. Speakers Nimish Patel and Parul Zaveri, cofounders of the Indian design firm, Abhikram, will sha

Our priorities for Sustainable Development

REBUILDING VITAL INFRASTRUCTURE

Our water and wastewater systems are aging and in need of repair and reinvestment. Reliability of these lifelines is essential to the future of the City's environment and economy. We can rebuild them in a way that more sustainably manages resources than we have in the past.

REDUCING GLOBAL WARMING EMISSIONS

San Francisco has many options to achieve greenhouse gas reductions from major emissions sources: energy, waste, land use and transportation. The City has set an aggressive target for reductions, and a cost-effective approach will help us reach it most efficiently.

BENEFICIALLY REUSING "WASTE"

The concept of waste is not a sustainable one. To the extent possible, we should maximize the use of resources and prevent them from becoming wastes. This means diverting waste from landfills, composting organics, and putting rainwater to use instead of letting it flow into the sewer system.

GREENING THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT

San Francisco now has some of the greenest codes for new construction in the country. To reduce our carbon footprint and meet our climate change goals, we need to retrofit existing buildings to conserve resources. Conveniently, energy efficiency--and renewable energy over the long term--iis usually a cost-saving investment for building owners. People just need to know what to do and how to do it.